General Assembly.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1158, 27 November 1879, Page 2

General Assembly.

HOUSE OF REPREBEFTA. TIVES.

Monday. The House met at 2.30. JIB MACANDREW's MOTION. On the motion for leaving- the chair lo go into Committee of Supply.

Mr Macandrew said he wanted to move a motion to the effect, " That the financial proposals were unsatisfactory." The expenditure will fall short of the revenue by '^800,000. Ho wbs no adept at finance, and he would leave it to others to supply derails. He would only say, that while a reckless assertion was made on the 16bh October that two millions were pledged, that assertion was radically wrong, and its effect on the home market was to prejudice the finance of the colony. It might be taken for granted that tha proposed expenditure exceeded the revenue. They proposed to equalise the revenue and expenditure, bnt all thgy had got to was to raise the deficiency by taxation. He would havo been better pleased if the proposal had been to reduce expenditure. They would be told that the Estimates were those of the late Government. That was not the case. They were Estimates of the depaftmeuts. All the Government proposed to do was to increase the taxation. The present taxation was as much as the country will bear, and under no circumstances would it be right to increase the buiden. As it stocd he would not agree to increase the burdens for a Government machine. We had overrun the taxation for a young community that was not a creation of yesterday. He had warned the House of that. The difficulty had now been bronght about, and nothing 1 but a financial reform would meet the requirements of the colony. They would have to rely more upon the pruning-knife, and that was the principal instrument they would have to employ. It was an ungracious task, still it would have to be done. In Otago thej' had got into a similar position, and good resolutions were made, but these never came to anything. It fell to the {Superintendent of that

province lo apply the pruning-knife, and he cub down the expapditure. The salaries were reduced 30 per cent., and tho offices were amalgamated. It was most unpopular, and he hud suffered as a public man m consequence. Some years ago he had promised a similar reduction, and m walking the Wellington Beach- the finger of scorn was pointed at him. What, ho would say m the way of financial reform .\\ ag, that they should find money first and have salaries afterwards. A prudent man when he is getting behind curtails his establishment. That is what New Zealand was called upon to do, and ho financial proposal that had not that aim would do for the colony. They were now called to make the choice ) still it bad to be faced. He would make tho country support the police, and aa for education, it was a mistake to make it a charge on the consolidated revenue of the colony. Those who raised the money should spend it. Hfc bad said sufficient to show that the financial proposals were unsatisfactory. He complained that the fact was that the Customs revenue, Sec, was decreasing, so the time had arrived when it was abso« lutely necessary for them to consider fcheir position and prospects. They had spent at the rate of £1,000,000 per annum, and the tendency was to increase it to £2,000,000. The situation was a critical one for them to consider carefully; and it wai absurd to say that the lace Government was responsible for the state of affairs into which the country had been brought. He believed m direct taxation, and to that extent he believed m the proposals of the present Government ; bufc they had not considered the matter as they ought to have done, and they had not, m the slightest degree, studied eco-

nomy. They ought to have studied retrenchment, and thereby have reduced taxation. Had they done so, the property tax might have been

reduced to a half-penny instead of a penny as proposed. Professional men ought to have been asked to contribute something, and improved lands ought lo have been asked to

do something towards the expenditure of the country. Sir George Grey contended that they ought to have initiated a system of retrenchment, and, by way of making a commencement they ought to have begun by reducing the salary of the Governor and then the salaries of Ministers. No proposals of that kind had been made. They told them the deficiency would be

between £800,000 and £900;O00. Land was the source of all prosperity, and as such it ought to be the principal item for taxation. The system of taxation proposed had no fairness m it, and was not suited to the conditions of a new country. In America, the example of which it was stated they were to follow books and fin© arts were exempted from taxation. He hoped the country would not commit itself. By a judiciously arranged income tax quite sufficient money for requirements could be raised. Then again, by reduction m salaries, large savings might be effected. By these means the colony would save its credit, and 9bQ\Y m $ bqld maime^ w«g nis.

pared to meet the exigencies of the case. In this, as m other countries, a different system of land laws must be enacted, so as to prevent the acquisition of large tracts of land. By the mere increase of population a value had been acquired by these lands. Those who occupied large tracts of country were che fair and legitimate objecls of taxation, and yet they were told the land tax was to be merged into the property tax. The two things were quite distinct. He felt that they were entitled to say to the Governmont, " Your proposals are unsatisfactory, and that another system of taxation was demanded." The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce had pronounced against the proposal, and when it became more fully known, he believed other places would be unanimous m pronouncing m the same direction.

of Supply. Progress was reported and the House adjourned. The question of finances will be again debated on the Property Tax Bill, when Messrs Ballance and Sheehan will speak.

Please notice, the Great Cash Sale at tho City Hall Arcade will be hold for two weeks longer, at very low prices, which tho new firm (Qarlick and Cranwell) have been realising their stock at during the past month. The immease patronage of both Town and Country buyers during the last four weeks is an undeniable proof that tho goods sold are far below the ordinary prices, and now is the opportunity for Ladies to adcure many .articles of Dress at half-price, as also Clothing and all kinds of Furnishing Goods, at a very great reduction from their ordinary prices. The sale is held inconsequence of tho retirement of E. Holloway from the firm, and hence the necessity to raise a large some of money m a short space of time. Any person wanting Fnrniture, Drapery, Clothing, Millinery, Carpets, Floor "Cloths, &c, &c, and sending us an order, accompanied with a remittance, will secure every article at the reduced price, just the same as if selected by themselves. Tho firm is now, Garlick &Cranwblli, Drapers, Clothiers, Cabinetmakers, and Upholsterers, General House Furnishers, City Hall Arcade, Queen street, Auckland.

Dr. Wallis proposed the adjournment of the debate.

Major Atkinson said he would endeavour to answer those who had been supposed to attack the Government. He would first deal with

what the last speaker bad said. The

Hon. gentleman had told them it was proposed to interfere with the present system of education, and he wished to know m what way. He said the Government had no intention of interfering with the present system, but the suggestion came from the leader of the Opposition and late Minister for Lands as a suggestion for the relief m the difficulties. It was easy enough to tell them that the deficiency was so much, but it was not attempted to tell them how to get out of the! difficulty. The land tax was merged m the present bill. They said the i

land was not the only property to be

taxed., but they did not neglect to tax it. They were charged with taxing improvement on land, but the fact was that m ever? income tax land was valued according to improvements. They had given i their pledge to use their utmost ex. exertions during the recess to inquire into the means of reducing expenditure m all departments and m taxation. As to the estimates, they found' them ready to hand on entering the Ministry, but knew nothing of them, nor whether they had passed the Cabinet. They had asked for reductions, and had pro. mised to reduce them still further

when they found out during the recess how they could do so consistent with {he efficiency of the departments. The hon member for Akaroa knew that when he came into office at the time referred to by him the expenditure had been incurred, and he took immediate steps to check the expenditure for the fu»ure. He was surprised at the hon. member for Port Chalmers. He had laid a return before the House showing m detail the appropriations for all sums above £10,---which proved that the loan was absolutely engaged up to the amount named by him. He had an engineer's report to show that m addition to all this a proposal to spend £1,000,000 was to be brought befors the House, and yet they were told that the deficiency would not be , anything like tho amount' represented. No reason had been given to show why they should pass the resolution before the House. It was true the financial position of the colony was unsatisfactory when looked at from any point of view, but they were not responsible. The responsibility rested upon the hon. gentleman who brought forward the resolution. When they found fault with the proposals of the Government to relieve the country from its position it was only reasonable ,that they should lav before this House, a remedy m tho shape of new pro posals ; but this had not been done, and until it was no notice co,uld be takqn ot the proposition. The £800,000 of' Treasury bills issued were the result of former extravagance and wasteful expenditure. He would ask the House whether the late Government were not responsible for the present difficulty, seeing the wasteful expenditure m native and other departments. He thought the House would take this view of the question, and show no sympathy with the motion of the hon. member for Fort Chalmers, which was in-, tended as a vote of want of confidence m Ministers.

, The debate on Mr Macandrew's motion was kept up till 3.30 on Tuesday morning; when a division was taken} the motion being lost by seventeen against six. The following is the division list ; —

Ayes, 17 : Atkinson, Bowen, Colbeok, Driver, Gibbs, Hirsb H., Horst W. J. (teller), McCaughan, McLean, Oliver, Eolleston, Seymour, Studholm, Button, Swanson, Trimble, and Wakefield.

Noes, G : George (teller), Harris, London, Moss/ Shepherd, and Stewart.

Thirty-two pairs, which makes eighty-seven.

PAIRS. For.— Brandon, Bryce, Mason, RuEsell, Masters, Beethara, Adams, Moorhouße, Whyte, Richmond, Murray, Hurathouse, Fulton, Wbitaker, Wills, Stevens, Levin, Kenny, Richardson, Wood, Tomoana, Kelly, Ormond, Dick, Hall, Pitt, Johnson, Bain, and Sannders.

Acjainst. — Brown, Sheehan, Tavnbull, Bunny, Ballance, Reid, Te Wheoro, Grey, Tole, Wallace, Finn, Hntchinson, Gisborne, Ireland, McDonald, Reeyes, Hislop, Andrews, Shrimski, Speight, Seddon, Tawhai, Fisher, J. T., Fisher, J. 8., Hamlin, Macandrew, De Latour, Barron, Montgomery and Thompson. 1 The House went into Committee